now rehearsed we stay, love
by hariboo-smirks
Summary: It's a day Vala doesn't feel like pretending all that much. Daniel is there to witness it. Friendship piece.


**A/N: **Written for the **dvexchange** on LJ for **misplacedangst**.

* * *

**Now rehearsed we stay, love**

Vala pushes the covers of her body using only her hips and toes, as she squirms to her side and blinks at the green bars of her alarm clock. Early, the sun must be breaking over the horizon on the surface so very far from her. She pushes her body up and off her bed slowly and stretches her legs off the side of the bed. The base is always cool, never cold, and she pads her way to the bathroom assigned to her.

The water runs rivets down her back and she thinks how it's not her shower. How it's not her bathroom, not her room. They are things, places, assigned to her and she cannot qualify them as her own. She can pretend it. She can fill them with trinkets and hide her treasure box under the bed, but nothing in the room is really hers.

She finishes her shower and grabs the blue BDU pants and a black t-shirt. Both are quite snug on her figure but it's the way she likes them, the way she made sure they fit. Her shock value around the base has diminished a bit, nobody really whispers when they see her anymore and the smiles she gets are no longer forced, but she still enjoys how sometimes eyes widen at her actions or outfits. Looking into the mirror she forgoes the pigtails and smoothes her hair into a simple ponytail. She fingers the silver clip on her dresser and a small smile graces her lips. She does not know why, but lately this clip had been her favourite. She almost puts it on but decides against it, leaving her hair free of adornments for one of the first times since she arrived to the Tau'ri planet for the second time.

The clips had originally been a rather odd gift from Daniel, who had mumbled something about 'welcome back… hope you like them… we'll take you out to get some clothes later…." It had all been rather surreal and later after her friendship with Samantha had grown, her blonde friend had confided that it had been the same things Daniel had given Cassie when she had come to live on the planet at Cassie's mother, Janet Frasier's (Vala remembers the name) encouragement and gift approval. After that Vala had giggled and nodded, because of course Daniel would think that way. Still she wore them, not that she didn't have her own, and slightly more elaborate hair adornments, but because they showed Daniel she appreciated his small and awkward effort.

Looking at the clip today, she doesn't pick any and makes her way of the room. She head to Teal'c quarters where they will head for breakfast together, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive or wake. Walking to her friend's quarter Vala thinks that it was only Sam who spent the night and makes note to save her friend some of the good coffee. She then reminds herself keep her smile on.

§

Daniel walks into his office to not see Vala as he expected. She is usually sitting in her chair, taking notes, finishing a report or flipping through one of his books or her magazines. Today the office is strangely empty of her. Daniel can't even feel her normal energy permeating the air of his space and knot in his stomach is forgotten as he sits on his chair and begins his day's work.

The translation is from a farming planet with Germanic influences, most obviously in the dialect and writings, the obvious depictions of Odin on their walls and the clear Celtic influences differing from the more recognised Gaulish ones and, most surprisingly to Daniel, using Pictish as it's base. All in all, an interesting find in the galaxy and it had taken some convincing for Daniel to extend their stay on the planet.

As he worked, he let his mind focus on the papers and etchings before him until he got to one clearly not done in his handwriting. But even then that had not been the tip off to Daniel as to who had written the note, as he sometimes managed to mix some of his colleagues notes with his own, no the tip off to who had written the note was in what was written. At first his brain didn't process it, after all he knew several languages, but when he did he smiled. Written in flowing Goa'uld, the note was Vala's. The smile came because he of what he remembers. He had taught her English, to read and write with help from Teal'c, but when she worked with him, she would forgo it and write her notes to him Goa'uld – it flows easier out of her hands and she never need a thesaurus.

Looking at what she wrote he smiles a fraction more as he remembers her on the planet. That had been another surprise for him. Vala's quiet help and surprisingly astute observations that really should not had surprised him at all. The note and the memory bring him back to the moment, and to the awareness that Vala has not come in yet.

This is enough to make him stand and head to the door where as he steps over the threshold, he steps into her space. Vala is on the other side, straddling the threshold like him and she tilts her face, sharp chin and soft cheeks, to him.

Her voice is soft and she slides into the room. "Morning Daniel, need some help?"

He stutters for almost a second, when he stops, breaths and shakes his head. "Yes," he looks at her as she goes around and gathers her notebooks and the papers and sits at the extra desk. She's quiet and none of her energy is seeping through her smiles like it normal does. Today it simmer at a quiet boil and he knows not to press, he moves back to his desk and looks over at her, "I was just finishing cataloguing the findings from the PX2-238."

Vala nods silently and picks up her pen. Daniel wonders if she is writing in English or Goa'uld. Instead, "It had definite Germanic influences. The Odin effigy in the centre of the town was also featured on their coins and many of the farmers had the symbol carved into their fences."

Again Vala nods, but is silent. Daniel wonders more about her silence and is about to question her on his when he hears her whispered words, "Move like dreams over the open countryside. Neither house nor farmland, neither forest nor hunting privilege is given to me, what is mine belongs to no one, the plunging brook behind the veil of the woods," She turns to him and smiles softly, "They are looking to protect their homes. Think that their god will watch over them."

Daniel can't help but blink at words and even as his mind speeds quickly to place the quote he is awed and strangely humbled by Vala's words. There is certain sadness to them, even as they speak of internal freedom, but then everything clicks and he remembers the opening lines of the poem, _only on me, the lonely one_. And he can't move.

§

Vala wonders why Daniel is suddenly looking at her like that. Eyes wide and _awed_, as if she is something bright and shiny and new. She feels uncomfortable in this stare and shifts her body. Daniel blinks and leans forward on his forearms, which are resting on the desk and his pen drops from his fiddling fingers.

"The lonely one who looks on, the bearer of human longing, the pale image of whom the future, the fulfilment of the world has no further need."

Vala's gasp comes out as a shock even to her as she meets Daniel's sharp and clear blue eyes. She feels the air sucked out of her lungs and her heart is beating to fast in her chest. She rubs a hand to her neck and tilts her head.

"I didn't know you knew poetry."

Daniel shrugs, "Herman Hesse. I took a poetry class in college." He doesn't smile but his tone is warm, "Do you like poetry?"

Vala looks away and finishes the note she was writing. "Teal'c bought me a couple of books." She lifts a shoulder and faces Daniel, "To help with my English, you know."

Nodding, Daniel picks up his pen and goes back to work. They work for a few more hours in silence when Vala hears Daniel's question, "Is everything okay with you?"

Vala turns at the tender baritone and thinks to tell him everything, the grip the day has on her heart, she only tucks a strand a hair behind her ear, "Quetesh."

Daniel's eyes snap to hers and she can his mouth open a few times in wanting to ask a question, but he either can if the right one or doesn't not feel ready to ask because he just stands and looks at her over his shoulder as he grabs a tome, "I have some poetry books in my apartment if you want them."

Vala blinks at him and smiles, she thinks it's her first real smile of the day. "Thank you, darling."

"I'll bring them by tomorrow." He drops the tome on his desk and offers her his hand, "Let's grab some lunch."

She takes Daniel's hand and lifts herself up. Daniel tucks her hand into the crook of his elbow and squeezes her hand as they head out of the office as Vala's note falls onto the floor, disturbed by the dropping of the tome onto the desk, it glides and lands gently on the floor, barely disturbing the air around it.


End file.
